I really love thrift stores...
Such bargains!
A few months ago
I picked up this little jumper
for $1.00.
I love to wear jumpers...
and I really loved the "feel" of this material.
But, the jumper was too big for me
and I felt that the design was just
a little too "young" as well.
But, it was such a bargain!
I just knew I could use it somehow...
So...
I took the bib off of the skirt...
I took the bib off of the skirt...
and with some minor alterations
I was able to make a comfortable skirt for me!
The bib had a cute "kitty" applique on it...
So...
I decided to use that for the pocket...
Of this tote bag!
The patchwork of the tote
was made from squares of my
husband's worn out jeans...
was made from squares of my
husband's worn out jeans...
 |
| The straps of the jumper are the handles! |
Have you ever uttered those words...
"What's the use?"
Perhaps there are times when...
You've just felt like giving up...
Or felt like you never seem to make a difference...
Or that you seem to be getting nowhere...
But ladies, don't despair...
We need only to turn to God's Word for hope..
Take a look at Paul...
Here we have a Pharisee
Who was out to obliterate the church
By persecuting Christians...
If the Lord could take a man such as this...
and change him into perhaps the
greatest evangelist the world has ever known...
"What's the use?"
Perhaps there are times when...
You've just felt like giving up...
Or felt like you never seem to make a difference...
Or that you seem to be getting nowhere...
But ladies, don't despair...
We need only to turn to God's Word for hope..
Take a look at Paul...
Here we have a Pharisee
Who was out to obliterate the church
By persecuting Christians...
If the Lord could take a man such as this...
and change him into perhaps the
greatest evangelist the world has ever known...
How can we not believe...
in our heart of hearts...
That He has a special use for us?
"For I know the plans that I have for you,"
declares the LORD,
"plans for welfare and not for calamity
to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah 29:11
You did an AMAZING job on those items!!! Isn't it just wonderful to find an item at a thrift store, flea market or garage sale and turn it into several items you can use? You are so talented and I really enjoyed this post and admiring your creative and sewing skills!
ReplyDeleteI'm off to make the orange frosted cookies you posted a few days ago. The weather is bitterly cold, the roads are too icy for driving, so I'm staying home to bake and sew! :)
I love how you created the skirt and bag from the jumper. It's so creative and they both are so cute. ~Alana~
ReplyDeleteDear Miss Linda,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your sweet comment! I have enjoyed the sewing that you have shared on your blog as well! You are quite an accomplished seamstress! I really enjoy sewing...and especially turning old things into new ones!
Have a blessed day...and stay warm and off the roads!
Laura
Dear Alana,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your lovely comments. I do have such fun with projects such as these.
I'm wondering...are you getting hit with all this snow in Canada? My sister in northern Vermont is buried in about 3 feet right now!
Hope you are staying toasty warm!
Laura
First of all, we were so glad to hear that your husband made it home safe and sound, Mrs. Laura! I am sure that was a relief to you to see him come in the door. I had been praying for his safety as he drove home . . . and prayers will continue for you all as you go through this big storm!
ReplyDeleteAnd now on to commenting on this post :) . . . I love what you turned this jumper into! What creative ideas . . . the skirt will be so nice for you, and the bag is adorable! And it reminded me that I have several of these ‘jumper fronts’ cut out . . . someone gave us a bunch of denim jumpers awhile back, but like in your case, they were too large for all of us so the denim was used for quilts, etc., and the designs on front were saved to be used later in someway. Now I have a great idea for what to use the designs for!
Thank you so much for the encouragement that you shared at the end of this post . . . what a reassurance that is! And the verse that you closed this post with is one that has often brought comfort to my heart when discouragement came in . . . I remember when I was going through a difficult time, and it turned out that the next cross-stitch on my ‘list’ to do at the time was one that had this verse on it. I remember pulling the pattern out to work on it, and when seeing the verse, I just had to stop and thank the Lord. It seemed like He worked the timing out on that perfectly to speak to my heart and bring encouragement . . . and since then, this verse always brings back that memory and fills my heart with thankfulness to the Lord for His great love and compassion towards us. He is so good!
Oh, I am so glad that you will be able to use the idea of the jumper bibs! I'm sure that you are like me...I have a whole trunk full of "scraps" from different projects...just waiting for the right "idea" to come along!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for joining me in prayer. My husband said that the ride was not too bad...they had to take it slow...but thankfully, a plow and sand truck was in front of them for most of the way.
I love this verse as well. Sometimes it is so difficult when we don't understand what the Lord has in mind for us...but it is only difficult because we are forgetting for a moment to leave our cares and worries at His feet. Our Lord is so loving...and His plans are always good.
Have a warm and blessed evening!
Mrs. Laura
Dear Laura~
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful job you did on your skirt and the tote bag...very creative! My favorite color is blue, and I have two cats, so I especially like your tote! :)
I enjoy going to thrift stores too. You never know what wonderful items you might find, plus you know the price is going to be right! :)
Isn't is amazing how Paul was totally transformed to be so mightily used by God? Yes, if God can use Paul, He can certainly use us! We all have special jobs that God made just for us if we'll take the time to pray and find out what they are.
That is one of my favorite verses. God loves us so much, and we can be assured His plans for us are always good!
Have a blessed rest of the week!♥
Dear Melanie,
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that you stopped by! I love the color "blue", too! Thank you for the sweet comments about my projects...I really enjoy doing things like this. Thrift stores are just the best, aren't they!
I so enjoy reading all the New Testament books written by the apostle Paul. What an amazing time in history that must have been. To be so "on fire" for the Lord...well, this should be the goal of all of us. What I think people have a hard time grasping is that we can be just as "on fire" as Paul was...but we don't have to do it in the exact same way. As you said, God has different plans for all of us...we just need to go to Him and find out what those plans are!
Hope things are going well as you plan for Katie's birthday! How exciting!
Laura
Hi Laura, I love your idea about using your jumper for two great projects at once. Now that's not just creative but thrifty too! Lovely work! I'm sorry to hear you guys are having trouble with the snow. Amazingly..it's on it's way here too!--in Houston!
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining my hand-quilted totebag giveaway. You're a sweet and encouraging friend.
xo
Donna
This is so creative! I love it!
ReplyDeleteGood Morning Donna,
ReplyDeleteI just knew you would like this post...you're always finding amazing ways to be creative and thrifty at the same time!
Snow in Houston...what a winter! Today is bright and sunny and the snow is just glistening. We have quite a bit of it...and more on the way for Saturday...I'm just not sure where we are going to put it all!
Have a blessed day, my friend,
Laura
Good Morning Tina!
ReplyDeleteHope that you are feeling better...it is no fun to be down sick with the flu. Thank you for stopping by and for your sweet comment...hope you have a blessed day!
~Laura
Good morning Mrs. Laura,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your post, and especially the scriptural insight you shared at the end. It is so amazing to realize how much God loves us that He refuses to give up on us, no matter how many times we stumble and fall. I just love to imagine how He is busy drawing up another set of wonderful plans for our lives, even after we have utterly failed Him by not heeding His voice and missing opportunities to be His light. This by no means provides a justification to become complacent in our walk with the Lord, for there is a very real battle between good and evil occurring in this world each and every day and He desperately needs us on His side to hold our place in the battle line. I believe that as we establish a deeper relationship with the Lord, we understand His need (or plan) for us to be on the offensive rather than always on the defensive. For His great love, which He pours out so freely on us, compels us to want to change the world for His glory.
As an example, for nearly a month God has been keeping the story of Paul’s conversion on my heart and in my mind, as well as the scripture found in Matthew 17:20-21. In response, I have been praying for those who have been blinded by the enemy and used to carry out his wicked schemes, and all the while not even realizing they are walking in darkness. I have been pleading with God that He would show mercy towards them, by revealing the light (His truth) just as He did with Saul (the apostle Paul). For they have not yet been “tuned” in to the good shepherd’s voice. How wonderful to imagine (or visualize through the eyes of faith) how God will one day be able to use these same people to further His kingdom. But we must remain faithful to God and do our part in interceding for them through praying and fasting.
Thank you for your comment. Paul's conviction demonstrates to us how important it is that we know God's word and we live our lives by it. Have a blessed day!
ReplyDeleteOh how lovely! ;o) Isn't it wonderful to find a good bargain and be able to use it for more then what we imagined at first? ;o) I see God's handiwork in yours hands my dear!
ReplyDeleteSo nice to have you drop by, Nabila Grace! I just love bargains...don't you? Yesterday our thrift store had a 50 percent off everything...I was able to pick up two things that I'm going to do some "recrafting" with...I will share in a later post!
ReplyDeleteHave a blessed day, my dear!
Laura